Close to Home

Orphaned Kittens Find Love In The Most Unlikely Place

About a month ago, residents of an assisted living center in Arizona welcomed a couple of new arrivals.

But unlike the seniors who call Catalina Springs Memory Care home, the new residents were taking their first uncertain steps in life. These orphaned kittens, just a couple of weeks old, desperately needed a hand.

"These are people who are home. They are not working. And sometimes, they are lonely," Rebecca Hamilton, health services director at Catalina Springs, tells The Dodo. "They have love to give; they are very open to receiving love."

"They are saving these cats' lives," Hamilton says. "They have a job to do that is important and are watching them grow."

Indeed, the kittens are already strong enough to scamper around the center on their own. When they're not in someone's arms, or being chased down hallways, the kittens live in a large crate, donated by a staffer at the facility.

"We have gotten a lot of interest from this," Hamilton says. "So many people say, 'Why didn't we think of this? This is really a perfect match.'"

"That is clearly my hope," she adds. "When kitten season starts up in full force, I hope rescue groups will reach out and form partnerships with memory care units and group homes and that a lot more lives can be saved. And a lot more joy can be brought to the lives of seniors."